Game Info: Saturday, November 23 - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Schwartz Center - Chester, Pa.
Social Media: @WidenerSports |
@WUWBB
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Opening Tip
The Widener University women's basketball team comes home for its penultimate game before the Thanksgiving break, hosting the Rowan Profs on Saturday, November 23 in a non-conference contest. Tip-off from the Schwartz Center is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
Last Time Out
Erin Phelan netted a game-high 22 points as the Pride toppled Swarthmore 64-53 on Wednesday evening.
Both teams got off to lukewarm starts before the Pride opened a 9-6 lead on the way to an 11-10 edge at the end of the first quarter. Another close frame followed in the second as neither team held more than a five point edge with the Blue and Gold taking a 26-22 advantage into halftime.
After a couple quick buckets by the Garnet to open the third quarter, Widener scored eight in a row, kicked off by back-to-back buckets from
Kyra Schenk to open a 35-26 lead. The Pride maintained the edge through the period and into the fourth quarter. Swarthmore closed to 52-49 midway through the final period, but Phelan scored eight points in the final five minutes to seal the win.
BY THE NUMBERS
- In addition to her scoring, Phelan pulled in six rebounds and came away with three steals.
- Schenk had a strong game, posting 12 points and nine rebounds.
- The Blue and Gold shot 9-for-16 (56.3 percent) in the final period.
Scouting Report
Rowan enters play 3-0 on the season and is coming off a 94-57 win against Hunter College. The Profs have been a high-powered offense this season, scoring 88 or more points in all three games. Rowan was voted to finish fourth in the 10-team New Jersey Athletic Conference.
Five players are netting double figures for the Profs, led by Nicole Mallard at 17.0 a game. Savanna Holt has come off the bench to score 15.0 with Grace Marshall tallying 13.3. Kennedy Brown and Eliana Santana are scoring 13.0 and 11.0 points per game respectively. Ayanna Johnson is pulling in 10.3 rebounds a contest. Alexis Kriley is dishing 4.3 assists an outing.
One reason Rowan has been able to score as much as it has is the shot differential. The Profs have averaged 15.3 more field goal attempts per game than the opposition, thanks in large part to pulling in 53.0 rebounds a contest with a +6.0 rebounding margin and that they have forced 30.7 turnovers per game. On the flip side of the turnover coin, however, is the 25 miscues per contest Rowan has committed.
Demitrius Poles is the interim head coach of Rowan. No stranger to Profs or the coaching ranks, Poles was the starting center on the 1996 Rowan National Championship team. He brings with him head coaching experience overseas, primarily in Sweden, and was the 2012-13 Eurobasket Coach of the Year.
Third Time Is The Charm
Widener has started a season 4-0 for the third time in the NCAA era. The Pride also opened the 2012-13 and 2018-19 seasons with four consecutive wins.
Rivalry Renewed
Following a year off, the Pride and Profs renew their rivalry. The two schools had played 11 years in a row prior to 2018-19. Widener won seven of those 11 contests, but Rowan has won three straight including an 86-68 victory on December 16, 2017.
Closing It Out
While her numbers are up overall as compared to her first season, what
Erin Phelan has done in the fourth quarter and, in particular, the final five minutes of games is incredibly impressive. The Downingtown, Pa. native is netting 6.3 of her 15.8 points per game in the final period. Of those, she is averaging 4.8 points per game on 7-for-8 shooting from the field in the final five minutes of a contest.
A Little Better
Four games into the season, Widener is shooting better than last year, connecting on 43.5 percent of its shots from the field as compared to 40.5 percent last year.
A Little Worse
The Blue and Gold was among the national leaders last season with 43.4 boards per game. This year, Widener has gotten off to a slow start with 36.8 caroms a contest.
Early Expectations
Widener was selected as the preseason favorite to win the MAC Commonwealth according to the preseason coaches poll as announced by the league on October 31. The top three teams were separated by just three points as the Pride garnered 57 points, Messiah had 55, and Lycoming earned 54.
Up Next
The Pride is back in action on Saturday, November 23 with a tough non-conference contest, hosting Rowan at 1:00 p.m.
